My dear Friends
Here is an account of yesterday's lecture, which went well.
Jewish Christian Reconciliation in the post-war period
A lecture was held on the above topic in the Old Library, Darwin College, Cambridge, on Sunday 26th July. The speaker was Jonathan Gorsky, lecturer in Heythrop College, University of London, who has helped to devise a unique undergraduate degree in the 3 Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The lecture was both a brief historical account of the difficult and conflictual relations between Jews and Christians over the centuries and an overview of the very real progress in Jewish Christian relations since the Second World War.
While, for example, collective guilt for the Crucifixion has been attributed to the Jews over the centuries, Nostra Aetate (In our Age)and other documents of the Church during the reforms of Vatican II in the 1960's refuted this position. It also laid down guidelines for a proper relationship with the Jewish people and recognised officially that the Old Testament is the matrix of the New.
Encounters between Jews and Christians through organisations such as the Council for Christians and Jews and a move, especially among young people to get to know the 'other' as fellow human beings through dicussion and Friendship have also been ways of breaking down barriers.
The lecture was hosted by The Little Sisters of Joy, an ecumenical foundation of Prayer, Peace and Reconciliation and was well attended by a variety of people from diverse backgrounds. A lively question and answer session followed this thought-provoking and moving lecture.
Shalom from
Sister Gila
Monday, 27 July 2009
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Carmel
My dear Friends
I really had fun yesterday. I went to see my friends in a Carmelite monastery about 25 miles from here and I decided to hire a car. Fortunately I have done this before and know where to get the cheapest option, so I bowled along in a Nissan Micra, with the radio blaring at Radio 3, the classical music programme.There wasn't too much sun but it was very sticky and I was glad I had dressed lightly.
Arriving at the monastery on the hill just before 10, I was greeted very warmly by one of the Sisters who is actually the Prioress. I had an hour before the Mass, so I went for a lovely walk in the surrounding countryside, where I saw fields of sheep and horses. I reflected on how little exercise I get these days so it was good to stretch my legs and just take in the scenery.
I got back just before 11am and went into the chapel, where a nice man recognised me from the last time and the previous times I had been to that lovely holy place. The elderly priest was just robing up for the Mass and he too greeted me very warmly: I felt like an old friend. It was the Feast of St Mary Magdalen and in the sermon he reflected whether she was the same woman who had poured oil over the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair. And was she the prostitute? She was certainly a woman Jesus loved, as he entrusted to her the message at His resurrection that He had risen.
After the Mass I was given a lovely 3 course lunch in a private room overlooking the front of the monastery.I think there was going to be wine, but when I said I had driven there it was mysteriously removed!But the food was delicious, chicken soup, nut roast and raspberries from the garden.
For the next two and a half hours I talked to my special friend, one of the other Sisters. We had a lot of catching up to do, but catch up we did and she gave me some good advice about how to approach the retreat I will be making in Ireland on 9th September.
I drove home, feeling very refreshed in mind and body. And woke up a litle depressed this morning, as I had had such a good day!
Shalom from
Sister Gila
I really had fun yesterday. I went to see my friends in a Carmelite monastery about 25 miles from here and I decided to hire a car. Fortunately I have done this before and know where to get the cheapest option, so I bowled along in a Nissan Micra, with the radio blaring at Radio 3, the classical music programme.There wasn't too much sun but it was very sticky and I was glad I had dressed lightly.
Arriving at the monastery on the hill just before 10, I was greeted very warmly by one of the Sisters who is actually the Prioress. I had an hour before the Mass, so I went for a lovely walk in the surrounding countryside, where I saw fields of sheep and horses. I reflected on how little exercise I get these days so it was good to stretch my legs and just take in the scenery.
I got back just before 11am and went into the chapel, where a nice man recognised me from the last time and the previous times I had been to that lovely holy place. The elderly priest was just robing up for the Mass and he too greeted me very warmly: I felt like an old friend. It was the Feast of St Mary Magdalen and in the sermon he reflected whether she was the same woman who had poured oil over the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair. And was she the prostitute? She was certainly a woman Jesus loved, as he entrusted to her the message at His resurrection that He had risen.
After the Mass I was given a lovely 3 course lunch in a private room overlooking the front of the monastery.I think there was going to be wine, but when I said I had driven there it was mysteriously removed!But the food was delicious, chicken soup, nut roast and raspberries from the garden.
For the next two and a half hours I talked to my special friend, one of the other Sisters. We had a lot of catching up to do, but catch up we did and she gave me some good advice about how to approach the retreat I will be making in Ireland on 9th September.
I drove home, feeling very refreshed in mind and body. And woke up a litle depressed this morning, as I had had such a good day!
Shalom from
Sister Gila
Monday, 13 July 2009
Busking
My dear Friends
I hadn't exercised my vocal chords for a while, so I thought I would take my guitar and go busking in the town. I also took a little stool to sit on and the African bowl someone had given me for my 50th birthday for the punters to put money in.
And quite a few punters there were! It was Saturday and I chose a good spot, just in the shadow of a wall of one of the market churches, so the sound was good. I kept my coat on initially as there were a few spots of rain, but mercifully it didn't get any heavier.
I launched into Blowing in the Wind and immediately a lady on my left tipped a whole bunch of change into my bowl. A good start! I'd no sooner finished singing when a couple of friends from church appeared and gave me much encouragment. And some loose change! I didn't want to be greedy but I had decided to keep anything I earned as pocket money. In the end I earned about £7 in less than an hour.
I continued my repertoire with The Carnival is Over, The Water is Wide, Yesterday and Oh what a morning, a song about the end of days based on some verses from the Book of Revelation. One or two kind people gave me 50p each, but I think they just enjoyed the music. I also got some bemused looks from some of the passers by, but there is no doubt that I would do it again. OLA!
Shalom from
Sister Gila
I hadn't exercised my vocal chords for a while, so I thought I would take my guitar and go busking in the town. I also took a little stool to sit on and the African bowl someone had given me for my 50th birthday for the punters to put money in.
And quite a few punters there were! It was Saturday and I chose a good spot, just in the shadow of a wall of one of the market churches, so the sound was good. I kept my coat on initially as there were a few spots of rain, but mercifully it didn't get any heavier.
I launched into Blowing in the Wind and immediately a lady on my left tipped a whole bunch of change into my bowl. A good start! I'd no sooner finished singing when a couple of friends from church appeared and gave me much encouragment. And some loose change! I didn't want to be greedy but I had decided to keep anything I earned as pocket money. In the end I earned about £7 in less than an hour.
I continued my repertoire with The Carnival is Over, The Water is Wide, Yesterday and Oh what a morning, a song about the end of days based on some verses from the Book of Revelation. One or two kind people gave me 50p each, but I think they just enjoyed the music. I also got some bemused looks from some of the passers by, but there is no doubt that I would do it again. OLA!
Shalom from
Sister Gila
Saturday, 4 July 2009
Women at prayer
My dear Friends
The Women's World Day of Prayer has now been going for over a humdred years. Every year, around March, women all over the world gather to hold a special service of prayer, centred round a particular country. This year it was Papua New Guinea and a few years ago I was invited to speak at the one for Poland.I talked about my Jewish and Catholic experiences there, with a little about Auschwitz and how we must be positive for the future.
It is great to gather for these services and feel in solidarity with women round the world. The services are often very musical with sometimes music from the country and this is great too.
Yesterday we had another service and meeting in Cambridge, all part of The Women's World Day of Prayer but held at a later date, called the 'summer meeting.' About 30 of us gathered in Westminster College, the United Reformed College in Cambridge, where they train people for ministry. After a brief business meeting, we went to the chapel where our theme was 'blessing.'
Our speaker took as her Bible readings the blessing of Abram in Genesis as he left his home to journey to a country he knew not, blessed to be a great nation, and the reading in Luke which are like the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 'Blessed are you who mourn, you shall be comforted' and 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for the cause of right, for great is your reward in Heaven.'
This last demonsrates a 'mixed blessing' - how it is not always through the good things that we are blessed. We sang several hymns about blessing and then went in for tea. This gave us all a chance to chat and get to know each other. A lovely way to spend a summer afternoon!
Shalom from
Sister Gila
The Women's World Day of Prayer has now been going for over a humdred years. Every year, around March, women all over the world gather to hold a special service of prayer, centred round a particular country. This year it was Papua New Guinea and a few years ago I was invited to speak at the one for Poland.I talked about my Jewish and Catholic experiences there, with a little about Auschwitz and how we must be positive for the future.
It is great to gather for these services and feel in solidarity with women round the world. The services are often very musical with sometimes music from the country and this is great too.
Yesterday we had another service and meeting in Cambridge, all part of The Women's World Day of Prayer but held at a later date, called the 'summer meeting.' About 30 of us gathered in Westminster College, the United Reformed College in Cambridge, where they train people for ministry. After a brief business meeting, we went to the chapel where our theme was 'blessing.'
Our speaker took as her Bible readings the blessing of Abram in Genesis as he left his home to journey to a country he knew not, blessed to be a great nation, and the reading in Luke which are like the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 'Blessed are you who mourn, you shall be comforted' and 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for the cause of right, for great is your reward in Heaven.'
This last demonsrates a 'mixed blessing' - how it is not always through the good things that we are blessed. We sang several hymns about blessing and then went in for tea. This gave us all a chance to chat and get to know each other. A lovely way to spend a summer afternoon!
Shalom from
Sister Gila
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